


He Felt... Happy

by aidyr



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alien Biology, Canon Autistic Character, F/M, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Post-Canon, Romance, and they were lab partners, but like REALLY SMART idiots, he'll get there someday, hordak is bad at feelings, tfw smart with math but stupid with love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:16:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24496342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aidyr/pseuds/aidyr
Summary: Hordak insists on treating a minor burn wound Entrapta sustains while working on her latest project. Entrapta loves her awkward alien gremlin, and Hordak is bad at emotions.Fluffy entrapdak time
Relationships: Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 225





	He Felt... Happy

Peace was a difficult concept to grasp for Hordak. His very existence could always be boiled down to being a simple pawn in Prime’s militaristic conquest of the universe. He’d never had a chance to relax and to be his own person. Not even the time he spent banished on Etheria, since he’d used every spare second trying to claw his way back into Hoard Prime’s good graces. No matter where he was, or what he was doing, his actions could always be traced back to war. Be it the war against the Rebel Alliance or Prime’s war against the known universe, everything he said and did and thought was to further someone’s warmongering aspirations.

He couldn’t be sure how many of his actions were done of his own volition and how much he could safely blame on brainwashing and careful, scientific thought-policing. Whatever the case, he hadn’t left Entrapta’s castle in Dryl since the final battle against his brother. The rest of the world had miraculously decided not to execute him for his atrocities, but the reception was far from a welcoming one. He was glad to be given mercy however. He knew to escape without death or imprisonment was a miracle. And so, he was content to spend his days alone with Entrapta, helping her on whatever project she decided was worth their shared attention.

Today, that was the development of something she’d taken to calling a _Mobile & Computerized PDA, Data Compartmentalizing/Personalized Transportation Apparatus._ Yes, it was quite a mouthful. Though Hordak was intrigued by the idea. The long and short of it being a transportation vehicle much like a Hoard hover-craft, though with the same data retrieval and AI capabilities of the spaceship Entrapta had come to call “Darla.”

That day, Hordak hadn’t yet been given much to do. Not that he minded. It was fairly captivating to just watch Entrapta work. She had her mask pulled down and over her face, to protect her eyes from the wielding work of her blowtorch. The sparks illuminated her frame just the same as the day he first started to feel a particular fondness for the scientist. Even with her face covered, he somehow knew she had her tongue sticking out in concentration. Hordak didn’t have a wide vocabulary in the way of describing positive emotions, but the thought of Entrapta squinting and focused was… pleasant. It made him feel warmer than usual.

He could’ve comfortably watched Entrapta all day. Her mastery of tech was engrossing in it of itself, even ignoring the joy of it being Entrapta specifically he was watching. Though with a flash of light which came from beneath the hood of her invention, she made a short noise of distress and jumped back quickly, clutching her upper arm. She hissed lowly, and put down the blowtorch.

Hordak stood up from where he’d be seated, watching. “Entrapta?” He asked, and cautiously began to move closer. “What happened?”

She looked at him and giggled sheepishly. “Ah… Nothing much. Just a burn is all.” She smiled at the alien and immediately turned back to her project. She looked to be pondering the cause of the accident, but didn’t seem to plan on stopping her work any time soon. “How peculiar,” she said aloud. She used her hair to grab a nearby tape recorder. “M-C-P-D-A-C-P-T-A log number twenty three,” she began with all her usual vigor, as if she hadn’t just sustained a painful injury, “While attempting to wield together parts for the first-ones-tech infused combustion chamber, something seems to have gone awry.” She paused to think, before her pink eyes narrowed in on a tipped over container of liquids. She grinned and continued her recording, “Note to self: don’t place a canister of liquefied, flammable, fuel-crystals anywhere near the chamber until basic construction of the structure is complete.”

She put down the tape recorder, moved the now empty cup, and started to get back to work.

Hordak was going to leave her be and go back to simply observing in silence. But when she turned to retrieve another tool, he caught sight of her injury and cringed. It was harder for him to speak up than he’d care to admit, but he found his voice after several minutes of staring wearily at the seared flesh of her arm. “Entrapta…?” He spoke, lightly. Such soft speech didn’t sound quite right in his gravelly, intimidating voice.

Entrapta acknowledged him with a small hum in response.

He moved to get a slightly better look at her arm. “Uh… Apologies, I know you work best without interruption, however… Do you not intend to do something about your injury?”

Entrapta made a small sound of confusion and put her tools down. She looked back at him with a raised brow. “Whaddya mean?” She asked, innocently. As if the skin on her upper arm weren’t clearly damaged. She followed his concerned gaze to the burn, and stared at it for what felt like forever until his worries finally seemed to dawn on her. “Ooooooooohhh,” she said, as if realizing something shocking. “Oh this?” She motioned with her hair to the burn. “This is nothing. Happens all the time.”

Before she could throw herself back into her work however, Hordak continued to speak. “Please, I insist we treat it.” He might not know but so much about Etherian biology, but he was more than aware that allowing an injury to fester did far more harm than good. “May I…” He stepped forward and raised his hand cautiously. “May I touch you?”

Entrapta smiled gratefully at him, much the same way she did every time Hordak politely asked for permission to touch. She had explained to him once, very early on, that she could become overwhelmed by touch. And even in his days as the tyrannical leader of The Hoard, he’d never once placed his hands on her without permission or urgency. “Sure,” she responded. Finally, she put her tools down, and turned her attention away from the project to focus solely on the clone before her. “It’s really not a big deal though.”

“I disagree,” Hordak said simply. He offered his hand to her, and she took it. She was the one to interlace their fingers, though Hordak did nothing to resist. Secretly, he found himself enjoying the simple act of affection. He led her away from the vehicle, and off to find the nearest bathroom.

The maze-like architecture of the castle had felt surprisingly familiar the second he stepped foot inside of it. No doubt reminiscent of the twisting, confusing corridors of Prime’s ship. Granted, he wasn’t connected to a hive mind which allowed him easier travel through Dryl, but it did come a bit more naturally than it might’ve to any other. It took a few weeks, but in due time, Hordak had the place more or less mapped out in his head. With Entrapta’s hand in his own, the two walked silently up and down the labyrinth-esque halls.

It took a few wrong turns, but he managed to find a restroom with basic medical supplies fairly quickly.

He closed the toilet seat and sat Entrapta down on top of it, then got quick to work scouring the medicine cabinet and drawers. If he hadn’t been so focused, he would’ve flustered at the fond and loving grin Entrapta was giving him. And though he hadn’t the time nor patience to ponder it, he was sure he saw her cheeks change color with a bashful, crimson blush.

Hordak was unfamiliar with the ins and outs of Etherian medicines, but with a few helpful pointers from the injured scientist, he managed to find a rag, lotion, and a roll of bandages.

At her instruction, he wet the rag with cold water. Hordak grimaced at the feeling of cold liquid flowing through claws. It reminded him of the uncomfortably cold, purification sauna he and his brothers had been subjected to multiple times. It was a sensation unlike any other; cold, slimy liquid which still somehow burned to sit in. And the painful, electrical currents which shot up his spine before his vision would fade to black and his consciousness was reborn anew. Hordak shivered at the thought and forced it out of mind.

He took the dampened rag and kneeled quietly in front of Entrapta. He refused to look her in the eyes. At this proximity, no doubt her beauty would distract him from his task. “I believe this may hurt,” he warned gently. She nodded and extended her hand to him, silently asking for something to hold. He obliged, and allowed her to find comfort in his grip, before lowering the chilled cloth on top of the burn.

As expected, Entrapta whined at the painful sensation. Her hand tightened around his, and as she closed her eyes, her eyebrows furrowed together as a sign of discomfort. Hordak disliked to see her in pain, but knew to hold the rag still for another minute longer.

When he felt the burn had been adequately cooled, he removed the cloth and Entrapta immediately relaxed. He risked a quick glance up at her, and though she was still wincing a little bit, her unease was completely overpowered by the tender look of admiration she was giving her lab partner.

Hordak’s ears twitched, and a rush of blue blush colored his pale cheeks. He had three hearts, and each of them skipped a beat when he saw the way she looked at him. However, he was nothing if not emotionally stunted, and so, unsure how to feel, quickly looked away and focused instead on grabbing the lotion.

The sound of his hearts beating filled his pointed ears. Despite the distraction though, he continued onward. He spread the lotion in his hands and applied it with uncharacteristic care to the wound. He made sure the burn got equal coverage, before grabbing the bandages.

He and Entrapta both said nothing as he finished treating her. Once the burn was properly wrapped, he wasn’t sure what to say, so opted simply for backing off and standing up. Hordak was, by nature, not talkative. This was true even while he was running The Fright Zone. Though after the defeat of Prime, he had only become more reserved. He usually relied on Entrapta to carry conversations. When she continued not to speak however, and the tension became unbearable, he was forced to take initiative.

Awkwardly, he cleared his throat. His ears folded backwards in a shy and demure manner. “Uh… Sh-shall we?” He asked, and tilted his head toward the door.

Finally Entrapta responded. She gave him a happy nod, and smiled brightly up at him. “Of course. And uh… Thank you,” she replied, “for caring about me,”

Hordak flushed at her genuine gratitude. “Of course…” He mumbled slowly.

Entrapta smirked playfully at the alien. A look of mischief crossed her features, and without taking a second to think about it, she propped herself up on her hair to be eye level with the taller, older, extraterrestrial. She leaned in, and for the first time in his life, Hordak was given a loving, chaste, kiss on the cheek.

She pulled back just as quickly as she’d leaned in and set herself down on her feet. She grabbed Hordak’s hand, and with a soft blush, began dragging him back to their work room. Though looking somewhat coy about the move she’d just made, Entrapta continued to speak and ramble just as she always did.

Hordak didn’t hear a word she said. His brain was too busy short-circuiting as he replayed the softness of her lips, and how warm they felt against his icy skin, over and over and over again. He followed behind the scientist, and allowed her words to go in one ear and out the other. Through the haze of confusing emotions Hordak was feeling, he found himself mystified by one unique emotion in particular.

He felt… happy.

It hadn’t dawned on him before that moment, but for once in his long, tiresome life… Hordak felt happy.

And as he gazed down at their interlocked hands, then up to Entrapta, who continued to ramble and rave about whatever first popped into her mind, he found himself hopeful for the first time in forever; hopeful that this happiness would last.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)
> 
> What's this? A het pairing?? On MY LESBIAN AO3 ACCOUNT? Yes. Entrapdak is cute af. Hordak is best angsty gremlin, and I'm glad he has a chance to better himself now that Prime is gone. His actions are... a bit more extreme than Catra's. He's no doubt killed a lot of people. But tbh given the copious amount of brainwashing Prime did on his clones...
> 
> Let's just say I think he should at least have a chance to prove he can be better.
> 
> I also think Entrapta would build another world-ending portal if anyone tried to get rid of her lab partner lmao.


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